Helical wire curtain rod, clothesline, and the like



June 1, 1937. E. PEARSON 2,082,301

HELICAL WIRE CURTAIN ROD, CLOTHESLINE, AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 1, 1937. 2,082,301

HELICAL WIRE CURTAIN ROD, CLOTHESLINE; AND THE LIKE E. PEARSON Filed Oct. 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I G v lNVE/VTOI? w z. W

Patented June 1, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HELICAL WIRE CURTAIN ROD, CLOTHES- LINE, AND THE LIKE Edna Pearson, Liversedge, England Application October 9, 1936, Serial No. 104,898 In Great Britain July 20, 1935 1 Claim. (01. 156-19) Helical wire curtain rods or clothes lines as the before mentioned fiat surface is external now made are usually constructed of wire, round W lst t a gu a r011nded, ridged Surface in cross section, which is tightly coiled so that is internal and so that the exterior of the comthe convolutions form a continuous rod or line p eted IOd fo s a Substantially Straight line in of the required length into the ends of which use. 5- screws, of the wood screw type formation, are The improved he c l wire d y be coiled screwed to provide means by which they can be with wire of the desired cross section to form detachably connected to hooks or brackets a smooth exterior and with internal screw screwed into the window frame, or the like, threads, produced by wire drawn to the desired across which the rod or line is to be placed, and Cross Sec 0 p od c d y using round Wire 10 when used as a curtain rod, the required numof suitable gauge rolled to the desired cross ber of curtain rings are placed on the rod before section either before coiling, or during the act of attachment so that they can be slid along the coding, by r ls d d for e pu p same, if the curtain be used without rings, the The invention will be more particularly derod is threaded through the hem or loops and scribed by the aid of the accompanying draw- 15 then fixed in position. I ings wherein the same reference letters or char- Although such wire curtain rods or lines are rs refer to the same thing or part throug of comparatively small diameter it is found in out the several views and wherein: practice that the ridges formed by the convolu- Figure 1 shows one end' of a helical wire curtions of round wire militate against the easy a r d or clothes line as w d par y in gliding motion of the rings or curtains on the section with a curtain ring in position, and rods in the act of drawing the curtains or Figure 2 is an end View thereof. inserting the rod through the rings, hem or loops Figure 3 is a View corresponding to Figure 1 and it has been proposed to use wire of rectangushowing one form of a helical wire curtain rod lar shape in cross section to form the helical or clothes line constructed according to the rod but rods so formed, whilst permitting the present invention of which curtain rings or curtains to slide more freely, Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view showing have the disadvantage that it is difiicult or imthe construction of the rod drawn to a still possible to form asecure connection at the end further enlarged scale.

0 by means of the screw in fitments preferably Figures 5 and 6 are views corresponding to used, and as such rods are produced to sell at Figures 3 and 4 respectively showing a modified a very low cost, it is not a practical proposition form of the improved helical wire curtain rod to solder or braze the end connections and such or clothes line and brazing would prevent detachment when it is Figures 7 and 8 are like views showing a still desired to alter the length of the rod or line. further modified form of the invention.

The object of the present invention is to pro- Figure 9 is a detailed sectional view of a still vide a form of such helical wire curtain rods, further modified form of curtain rod with a clothes lines and the like, having a smooth excurtain shown in position thereon. terior free from ridges along which the curtain Figure 10 shows the invention adapted for a 0 rings, or curtains and the like, can glide and clothes line and with which the usual screw in end connections Figure 11 is an end view of Figure 10. can be used vn'thout any increase, or any ap- Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings preciable increase, of production cost. an helical wire curtain rod a formed of round According to the present invention helical wire wire as now commonly coiled on a machine to 5 curtain rods, clothes lines and the like, are produce the abutting convolutions is shown, both formed by wire which is shaped in cross section the external and internal surfaces being corruand is coiled to form a substantially smooth gated and whilst the internal corrugations or cylindrical exterior and to form internal screw ridges serve the useful purpose of forming screw threads, adapted to receive the usual screw in threads to receive the screw threads on the end end connections such as screw eyes and the like. b of the screw eyes b which are screwed therein 50 The said wire has a fiat segment in cross section to form the end connections by means of which with a diametrically opposite segment of a conthe rod may be detachably secured in position, tour other than flat, such as angular, half the external ridges are a disadvantage as the round, or with an angular or rounded ridge with curtain rings c settle in the depressions e so side extensions and the coiling is efi'ected so that formed and have to be snatched over the raised 55 portion f of each convolution in the act of drawing the curtain as will be clearly understood from the drawings. When curtain rings are dispensed with and the rod threaded directly through a hem in the curtain, the fabric settles in the depressions 2 so as to render the passing of the rod through the hem or loops difficult and in use the curtain has to be jerked free as previously explained with reference to rings. This trouble is particularly intense in the case of ourtains made of fine net material and the like.

Figures 3 and 4 show the improved method of constructing helical wire curtain rods g according to the present invention with a substantially smooth cylindrical exterior surface upon which the curtain rings 0 can glide smoothly whilst internal screw threads h are formed to receive the screwed end 12 of the screw 2) which may be formed with a head as shown or with an eyelet or other suitable means for detachably connecting the rod to the brackets or hooks on the Window frame or like fixture. The wire from which the coil is formed has a flat segment k arranged externally and with a diametrically opposite surface formed to a blunt angle is? in cross sectionwith substantially straight sides k Said wire may be drawn to the cross section shown but preferably round wire is used and one ofthe feed rolls for the coiling machine is grooved to form the desired contour whilst the complemental roll is flat and sufficient pressure is applied to said feed rolls to force the wire into the groove as it is traversed between the same, the outer segment being flattened in the act of doing so, so that the resultant distortion of the wire produces the desired cross section which is coiled with the flat side outermost the coils being of the cross section shown at the lefthand side of Figure 3 and in Figure 4, the screw threads h permitting the connecting screws to be readily inserted and positively retaining the same in position against endwise movement whilst the exterior surface of the coil is free from undulations, ridges or depressions so that the curtain rings 0 can glide: smoothly and freely along the same.

Figures 5 and 6 show a somewhat similar construction but in this case the segment 10* di-- ametrically opposite to the flat segment k is of half round shape in cross section the groove in the roll being formed of like contour in cross sectionto produce the desired result.

Instead of the angular or rounded contours k? and k respectively extending from side to side of the wire in cross section it may be of like formation but of narrower width so as to form a ridgeon the inside of the wire coils. Figures '7 and 8 showing such a construction with a half round ridge, but it will be understood that the I which the rod or line is made is flat on the top side but of triangular shape in cross section on the underside but it is to be understood that the cross-sectional shape of the Wire may be varied indefinitely whilst obtaining a smooth exterior with the desired internal screw threads. When used as a clothes line,spring clothes pegs m may be slidably mounted on the line as seen in Figures 10 and 11 wherein the line 9 is threaded through the convolutions of the springs n which act upon the two halves of the eg to cause them to clamp on to the article to be suspended, any desired number, usually twelve being threaded on to the line before the end pieces I) are secured in position. By these means helical wire curtain rods, clothes lines and the like are produced with comparatively slight increase in manufacturing cost wherein 'a window rod, clothes line or the like is formed from helical wire having a true cylindrical outer surface equal to or apprcximating the smooth surface of a round metal rod or tube and to which screwed end connections can be readily applied and which will be positively held in position without any distortion of said ends or extraneous securing means.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-

A device of the character set forth comprising a fiexible body portion consisting of a strand of wire having a straight exterior face, side faces respectively extending substantially at right angles to said exterior face and parallel to each other and a tapering inner face, said wire being in the form of a helix with the straight exterior face of the strand disposed outward and forming a composite cylindrical face, with the adjacent side edges of the adjacent helices substantially in engagement for substantially their full areas and with the tapering inner face forming a continuous curvilinear thread, in combination with connecting means having screw-threaded shanks respectively engaging in the respective end portions of the said. curvilinear thread formed in interior of the body portion by the tapering inner face of the Wire strand.

EDNA PEARSON. 

